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Architect Ariane Prevost is not what I had been expecting. I’ve gone to chat with her at her famous home, Marimekko House. I’ve been there less than two minutes and already am realising that this is an architect very different to most I know.

You can freely accuse me of stereotyping an entire profession here, but when I first meet most architects, most of the time I find they are a bit on the quiet side, a little reserved, and not just modest but downright humble about what they have created, sometimes to the point of seeming almost embarrassed about it. When I ask them a question, many will think long and hard first, and sometimes they get stuck for words when put on the spot, and fall silent. Finally they burst (and half of them will be flushed in the face). “Can you email me questions later?” they beg. “It will come to me better when I can sit down and think about it and write it out.”

Not Ariane. I don’t think she has once been lost for words, or finds it difficult to describe what she feels. She is sassy and loud, furiously eloquent and startlingly outspoken, and dives headfirst into our interview; there is no need for the usual warm-up period. And this is her house.

COME IN: Ariane’s “frickin’ huge” front door, as she calls it. The handle was made from a piece of old bridge. It’s worn and rustic on one side, modern and honed on the other. Ariane situated the entry at the side of the house, so one walks through a beautiful garden past a fragrant Michelia x Alba tree that smells heavenly. Photography by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

When I arrive, her husband Neil Garnett shows me in. Ariane is in construction gear and steel-toed boots scrubbing her hands at the kitchen sink after a long, hands-on day on-site at her latest build – her next home, which she announces she is calling “Pussy Galore”. (Which I later find out is because its roof and garden will be covered in pussy willows… so it is more innocuous than it sounds… I guess).

Within two minutes of our meeting she is telling me how much we have been conditioned to think we should build a house a particular way. She fervently hates bland, cookie cutter project homes even though she says they have their place in the market. “The West Australian public in particular have been brought up on a diet of project homes… everything has to be shiny and clean and smooth. Oh, I am so over perfection!”

She says it is frustrating that many people consider resale value and what's "expected" first and foremost when designing and building their family home. “You should build your house for the way you and your family like to live your lives, not the way everyone thinks you should live your life,” she says. “Design your house for your family.”

With Pussy Galore, (Marimekko House is going to auction on June 21st) Ariane is again aiming to challenge traditional building ideas. She loathes that many people go for a mass-produced project homes because they believe it is their only build option. With her latest project, she is determined to challenge the opinion that great architecture does not necessarily have to come with an impossible price tag, and is taking a well-known display home and proving that one can build something truly bespoke and beautiful for the same price.

But that’s a house for another story… I am here to share with you guys this place. Marimekko House was designed by Ariane and built just two years ago (although you would never be able to tell by the established gardens and tall poplar trees) this very unique home has gotten a lot of attention, and has been featured in a host of architecture publications and TV programs, won awards for its unique kitchen and gardens, and was a finalist in House magazines Australian House of the Year 2012.

Marimekko House gets its name from the striking steel bris soleil panels Ariane created for the front elevation, the pattern in the Cor-Ten steel inspired by the famous Finnish design company’s bold patterns. The streetfront is beautiful, with thick succulents edging the concrete paths. Ariane and I start our interview in the living room over coffee, and later, a gin and tonic (“Shall we have a drink? It’s past five o’clock now”) as she shows me through. If I thought the house was gorgeous from the outside, it’s even more incredible inside. Ariane designed it to be sustainable with a big focus on recycled, low-maintenance materials and raw finishes, and a huge connection to the outdoors, with doors that can completely open the house up to the outdoors. Huge windows and windows take in the views of the parklands beyond the house, while the lush rooftop garden offers sweeping views across Mosman Park. “Everything about this house is about the sun, wind and light,” says Ariane.

COME IN: Ariane’s “frickin’ huge” front door, as she calls it. The handle was made from a piece of old bridge. It’s worn and rustic on one side, modern and honed on the other. Ariane situated the entry at the side of the house, so one walks through a beautiful garden past a fragrant Michelia x Alba tree that smells heavenly. Photography by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

OUTDOOR LIVING: The family love to push aside the huge bi-fold doors and sliding throughout the home to create sinuous indoor-outdoor spaces. In the back garden, a huge gate opens the gardens onto the private treed parkland beyond the house, and there is a covered alfresco entertaining area with outdoor fireplace where the family bake bread. Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

EASY LIVING: Here the family love to eat fish and chips, read, curl up by the fireplace in winter and entertain. “Guests come over and feel free to sit on the book shelves, or leave their wine glasses on them, and put their feet on the coffee table,” says Ariane. “I am not a precious person and my homes are never precious.” She made the coffee table from railway sleepers. It’s the kind of rustic coffee table that guests feel comfortable resting their feet on. “Your drinks don’t stand up on it properly… I don’t care!” she says. Like the dining, this room has a rammed earth wall as well. Ariane walked past a building site and found they were going to throw out a lot of rammed earth. She convinced them to dump it at her site instead, and turned it into a wall. Beyond the back garden is verdant parkland. Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

SLOWLY DOES IT: Marimekko House has further cemented Ariane’s love of slow architecture – design that takes it easy, allowing for full enjoyment of the designing and building process. She tells me she loathes it when people say things like, ‘Oh, we want to be in by Christmas’. To her, a build should never be rushed, but a thoughtful process to get the best result. “I propagate ‘slow architecture’,” she says. “You create as you go along - good ideas manifest themselves through the process. That is what life is all about – not bloody Christmas or Easter!” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

The house also had to be extremely easy to live in, unpretentious and fuss-free – and have enough space for eight adults. Yes, eight - Ariane and her husband, Neil Garnett, and their adult three children – each who were, when it was built two years ago, all living with their partners.

There is plenty of separation, with two bedroom wings – one upstairs off the rooftop deck, for Ariane and Neil, the others on the ground floor. Each bedroom wing has its own living space/study, and along with numerous outdoor areas there is also the large kitchen, dining and living too, so it is easy to understand when Ariane says they never felt cramped, even with eight adults living here.

Oh, and the family includes the animals. Everywhere we walk, we are followed by the furry trio – Poppy the poodle, Frieda the blue heeler and Skipperdee the Burmese cat, named after the turtle in the children’s stories on Eloise who lived in The Plaza. True to Ariane’s beliefs that nothing in a home should be too precious, the animals wander about in the smug way a pet does when he lives the sweet life and knows he has free reign of his house. Poppy the poodle jumps onto the couch, covered in beautiful Marimekko fabric, to contentedly chew her tennis ball. None of the materials are precious, although Ariane strikes me as being more relaxed about the casual livability of their home than her husband is. “Neil says, ‘The bloody cat is putting fur everywhere,’” she says. “I say to him, it’s a CAT. That’s what they do!”

Ariane is not one for fussy finishes or hovering over a table in case someone leaves a mark - (in fact, she shows me a mark on the dining table from a vase from her son’s wedding, held here. “But now I look at it, and I remember the wedding,” she says.

Here, inside and out, surfaces are predominantly raw and exposed, even the external cedar, which has turned a beautiful aged grey. “Once you start adding finishes to natural products, you have to keep doing it,” she says. She loves low-maintenance living and doesn’t believe a home should necessarily need to require a lot of upkeep. The herringbone red brick floors are one of my favourite features here, and fuss-free – plus warm in winter and cool on hot days.

A WINNING KITCHEN: The kitchen features white laminate cabinetry and was designed to encompass six zones – a scullery, laundry, home office, pantry, kitchen cabinetry and storage. The kitchen took out the Innovative Use of Laminex Award at the 2012 MBA Awards. The family cook and entertain often, from weekly family dinners to big parties.

ABOVE: Neil and Ariane's ensuite on the upper floor has a private balcony where there is an outdoor shower.

ABOVE: The family bathroom has a louvred window that opens up to the covered balcony, where you can see the Marimekko screens. The design means that the house is easily cross-ventilated from cooling breezes across the nearby river, yet the house is completely private from the street. The wall tiles are from Bunnings. Photo by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

Another of my favourite features is the award-winning rooftop terrace. A hater of wasted space in a home, Ariane loves flat roofs and says they make a lot of sense, not only for passive thermal purposes but for the overall feel of the interiors. She tells me she doesn’t see the sense in giving over a third of your height restrictions to a pitched roof (and as a benefit, the ceilings through Marimekko House are lovely and high).

Thickly covered in plantings, pots of trees and decking, the concrete roof keeps the rooms below at a comfortable temperate while its large rainwater tanks supply the home with drinking water. The succulents were all started from teeny tiny plants... now they’re dense and lush. Tumbles of succulents spill over from the roof deck down the walls of the house, draping the windows like curtains. Ariane gives me some cuttings for our garden. It’s a wonderful space – with mature frangipanis and an arbor, under which Ariane and Neil’s son got married. “We have had fantastic parties up here,” she says.

THE VISITOR WHO STAYED: Ariane and Neil transported 31 tons of soil and sheep manure to the top of the roof deck for the gardens. In one load they found a tiny green succulent plant that had accidentally come along. They planted it and it has now flourished, taking over an entire bed.

ROOF DECK: Ariane and Neil’s son Peter recently married his now-wife Lil on the rooftop deck under the arbor. The glass panel is a skylight that floods the ground floor bedroom wing with light.

ROOFTOP GARDEN: The rooftop pavers were from Cottesloe footpaths, the timber screens made by Ariane from old roof rafters.

INDOOR-OUTDOOR: Neil tells me his favourite part of the home is the main living area, which features a rammed earth wall and bi-fold doors that completely open the house up to the gardens and the treed neighbourhood views. “You have this wonderful indoor-outdoor aspect and in winter it’s warm, it’s cosy and it’s perfect for entertaining.” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

When you are inside this clever house, or even outside on the alfresco areas, its perfect blend of angles, windows and greenery means that not a single neighbouring soul can see in. I comment that the house’s wonderful sense of privacy is just one of the features I love about it. Ariane agrees. “Neil and I are nudists and we love being here,” she announces. Maya x

Would you love to live here? Do you think a house should be non-precious, or do you not mind the upkeep of materials? What is your favourite thing about Ariane and Neil's home? Would you love a rooftop deck? And are you a nudist at home too?

Little side note guys, you can now follow House Nerd on Houzz Australia, which will be launching later this month!

Probably my favorite house ever!!! The house is so unpretentious, so real, yet totally extraordinary. There is something unexpected at every corner. Ariane has such an awesome attention to details, and yet, everything is super cohesive and amazing on a larger scale. And I LOVE Arianne's philosophy. “The West Australian public in particular have been brought up on a diet of project homes… everything has to be shiny and clean and smooth. Oh, I am so over perfection!” Could not agree more! Thank you for sharing such an incredible house and for giving us loud and bold glimpses of the person behind it :)

Wow! :) That is a big call coming from an interior designer - but I too think this house is worthy of such attention. I love Ariane's approach to cracks and marks and imperfections; that they are what give a house warmth and character. Not everything has to be pristine and 'perfect' to be lovely :)

I have to find a napkin wipe off the drool off my chin ... done.
What a gorgeous house! I have already spotted it elsewhere on your blog but that was just the outside.
The rusty-coloured steel panel fencing is so striking and it immediately reminded of a book on garden landscaping using unusual materials (I think it would give you & Mr. Nerd some interesting inspiration [not that you are lacking in that department!]).
What I love most about this house is the seamless transition of indoors and outdoors; and of course the privacy. I would pass on the rooftop deck (I am very much a shade person) and I love big mature trees for the shade they provide so the main level garden would be plenty for me.
Love the brick floors and everything.
The iconic Marikekko poppy flowers actually never did much for me but I find them more palatable in black than in red.
Maya, you are SO making me want to live in Australia!!!! I also love learning about the trees that we don't have in North America (the other day, I saw a mention of a marri tree on your blog and now I know it's a eucalyptus (but marri is a more fun name). Today I learned that Michelia x Alba tree is a magnolia which I planted in my front yard two weeks ago (Merrill Magnolia).
Belly rubs to my beloved.

Bahahaha Alena! You have a sharp eye. The rust-coloured steel screening is one of my favourite things about it. Every time I have seen these kind of screens used in a home, it has been memorable. They draw the eye straight away. I too am a shade person. Despite having tan skin from my Sri Lankan father, I hate the feel of my skin under the sun! Being in the sun makes me think I am roasting myself. That's a bad thing about Australia compared to North America Alena - our sun's rays are much more harmful! Which is such a shame because the climate here is wonderful for indoor-outdoor living. Although that said, mozzies are still always a problem ;) Belly rubs to Nala given.

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Stacey Holmwood - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 10:59AM

Ariane!! The house looks incredible now, as I always knew it would! It's still my most favourite house in Perth! Xo

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Katie - Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 11:51AM

Maya! You are so lucky to get to come here....... I am so jealous. In awe. The perfect home. The pets are so cute. And she sounds hilarious.

Cool Arianne, so unusual, free air flows, perfect for animals and parties! Outside shower reminds me of the Northern Territory! You wouldn't want that here tho still need a raincoat and its June! So glad you posted!

I absolutely loooove everything in this house! She used pretty much all my dream material I'd use if I'd build a house.... and then I keep scrolling down and here she is...Frieda the blue heeler... totally in love!!! I'll have to go and visit! Thanks for sharing it with us!!!

Wow, excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor... This house is just amazing!! This is the kind of house I dream about having, something that has a real heart and soul to it. Having a young family myself I am always thinking about how I can make sure things are not too precious and perfect that I spend all day worrying they are going to make a mess/ damage something . Homes should definitely be about living the lifestyle you want comfortably . Feeling so inspired right now thanks for sharing this one Maya! X

I am happy you loved it :) I think this sort of house is perfect for a young family, because knocks and marks just add to its character. My kind of house too! I couldn't live in a home that was overly precious and fussy... I am as clumsy and messy as a child myself :) As you know I don't have any kids yet, but thinking about longevity and versatility is something we often consider when we do renovations. Completely agree, homes should definitely be about living the lifestyle you want, not about resale! xx

jaw droppingly amazing! i love the connection, the play between the architecture and the garden/landscaping - it all works so well together. the plantings enhance the angles of the house, and vice versa! and i'm also in love with those cut steel panels. works of art.
it's impressive but not pretentious - i would say that is a hard balance to achieve.
can't wait to see Pussy Galore :-)
hope you're enjoying lots of nice sunshine in WA right now xx

It is the kind of incredible garden you would definitely love! Although, like you, if it were mine I wouldn't be able to help myself from filling it with vegetables and other edibles:) I really loved your latest post by the way. Beautiful half sunny-half rainy day today - perfect for the vegie garden! :) xx

I know. The roof terrace takes it to another level (get it... ok sorry that was really bad). You're on Houzz too?? I just tried to search for you but couldn't find you - send me your profile link so I can follow you :)

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Anna - Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at 8:02PM

Another amazing home. It really is quite incredible!
Maya, I have a love hate relationship with your blog. Unfortunately though I think I may have to give it up. Like Facebook does with lives, I think it shows only the best parts of homes and has a tendency to make me feel bad about my own home. Every time I read a story like this one I start to feel that I need a better house. I don't. I LOVE your crapshack and that it is real, it's the house I love reading about most. After reading this particular story however I have been made to feel that my "cookie cutter home" is just not good enough, that I am not good enough. Anyway it's been fun but time for me to concentrate on what I do have instead of lusting after what I probably will never have. Not all of us are architects or can afford the luxury of a bespoke home and I don't think that those who are architects or have beautiful homes should bag homes like mine. I think the house could have been shown without the cookie cutter comments. Yes, my home is ordinary. Yes, I am ordinary. I'm trying to love my shiny, bland, perfect home and not feel bad about it. I shouldn't be offended by those comments. It shouldn't bother me. But it did. I want to see the bad bits of this Marimekko house. Every house has bad bits.

Hi Anna, I’m sorry to hear that Ariane’s story made you feel like your house is “just not good enough” or that in some way you are not good enough. It has never been my intention to publish home tours or any kind of story that makes people feel bad. Yet I really appreciate you giving me your honest feedback and I will be sorry to see you go. It might sound odd to you… but our crap shack is a cookie cutter home itself. It’s not a clean shiny new modern one (and often I wish it was - no maintenance or plumbing problems would be bliss!) -- but when it was built in the 70s, our Crap Shack would actually have been the epitome of cookie cutter homes. In fact my house (and its neighbors) were inexpensive display homes; designs produced for the masses. The number of people who have told me their house looks exactly like mine and shown me pictures makes me laugh. But over time, we, and previous owners before us, have added our own stamps to this place, given it layers and personality, and I can truly say I love this home, despite all its flaws. I would say about 90% of House Nerd readers (including myself!) live in a cookie cutter home of some description :) Look at your own ‘cookie cutter’ home as a perfect slate to layer your surroundings or to make your house as wonderful a home as it can be for you. And who is to say the shiny, modern project home of today won't be one of the desirable homes of the future? Just look at trendy heritage-listed workers cottages in Subiaco and Fremantle, expensive and lusted-after Melbourne terrace homes and small Californian bungalows in Floreat. Homes all once mass-produced for the working class and the bourgeoisie, and residences that were not necessarily considered hugely desirable back then.

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Rebecca - Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 10:26PM

You know what, I get a little tired of this mentality that we need to cut successful people down. Society these days does it all the time, we scorn the 'fit mum' for caring more about her health than her kids, we buy magazines with pictures of celebrities bums zoomed in 1000x so we can see their cellulite and we get offended by blog posts about beautiful homes! I don't want to see ugly homes as much as I don't want to see supermodels who haven't shaved their legs. You don't just wake up one morning and decide to be an architect it takes years of hard work and determination. So good on someone who has worked their butt off and been able to build the home of their dreams!
I agree with her cookie cutter statements. So many builders these days build these ridiculous houses that don't make any sense. I will never understand why a family needs a family room, a living room AND a theatre room - especially when the bedroom sizes are teeny tiny to make room for it. Do people really watch that much television?! My family and I live in a tiny 3 x 1 house because we didn't want a house like that and that seemed to be all that was on offer. But even though our house is probably too small we love it and we've made it our own. I don't understand how you can be made to feel your house isn't good enough , because the only person it needs to be good enough for is you (and your family.)

Wow wow wow!! what a house!! Ariane is my kind of lady! Valuing so many freaking project homes daily, it's so refreshing to see something so different!
Love the fact that it's all about the sun, wind & light. My three faves! & I think more houses in Perth need roof tops! We have the perfect climate for it, it's such a shame!
& that outdoor shower? Perfection!